Why this former meth addict wants her criminal history wiped

A former meth addict has told a NSW inquiry the criminal histories of rehabilitated users should be erased because such records left them unemployable and at risk of relapse.

On the second day of hearings at the special commission of inquiry into the drug ice, 50-year-old Nicky Tillier said criminal histories could be misleading and recovered users deserved a "fresh start".

Nicky Tillier, who gave evidence about her journey through addiction with methamphetamine.Credit:AAP

"When you look at my criminal history it shows I’ve been charged with larceny and the possession of a weapon and when HR looks at it they won’t hire me," Ms Tillier, who now works at rehab service Odyssey House, said.

"But it gives no context, it doesn’t show the larceny was me stealing a $10 Kmart skirt for my daughter and the weapon was a butter knife [to cut up drugs]."

Advertisement

Loading

The inquiry, led by commissioner Dan Howard, on Wednesday heard from frontline health workers and recovering addicts in its examination of the nature, prevalence and impact of the drug.

Mary Harrod, chief executive of NSW Users and AIDS Association, said the lack of needle and syringe programs in prisons meant that some prisoners were acquiring hepatitis C.

She said some prisoners were trying to deal with the pain of being behind bars by injecting meth for the first time.

Some users who were suffering from vein damage and infections because of repeated injections had difficulty accessing treatment and lost their limbs.

"The balance in service delivery is wrong. We spend far too much policing and penalising users and we need to move to a place where drug use is either seen as a valid personal choice to relax, like alcohol, where people have full access to treatment."

Nicolas Parkhill, chief of ACON which provides health services to LGBTQI people, said they needed funding and resources to trial innovative ways to reduce harm.

Pipe of crystal meth.Credit:Shannon Morris

His colleague Karen Price called for services that collect data to ask for the sexual orientation information, like they would with gender and cultural background, so that organisations like hers can track trends and better serve their communities.

Loading

Meth and ecstasy use in 2016 was nearly six times higher among members of the LGBTQI community compared to those who are heterosexual.

"We know [the sexual orientation information] is relevant … when they’re not asked about how they identify, you’re missing a big part of the person and picture," Ms Price said.

They said when they tried to find out the sexual orientation of the 1500 people who died from meth use in the past 10 years, they were told this was not possible.

Recovering meth user Shannon Speechley said at the lowest point of his 22-year addiction he was homeless and lurching between homicidal rage and suicidal despair - wanting "to kill or be killed".

"I became violent, including towards my children and partner. I lost all self respect and morals went out the window," he said.

He said "ice turned me into a monster" but through a rehabilitation program and weekly sessions with Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous he had rebuilt relationships with his family.

In its opening day, the inquiry heard the possession of amphetamine – meth’s parent drug – had risen by an average of 250 per cent over the past decade and 1500 users had died in that time.

The inquiry will continue in Sydney on Thursday, hearing from addiction specialists, police and social workers.